Is Porn Use good for Christians?

[paterfamilias]

Your statement was steaks or ruminant meats.

Yes, and I misread your reply.

 

[Joshua]

Fine, draw the line wherever you feel that you should. Every man needs to find his own balance.
Just don’t expect your balance to be everyone else’s balance.

If someone disagrees with me, that’s their choice, but I don’t want to agree with myself, I want truth, I want people to tell me if they think I’ve properly interpreted the Bible or not, and why. I don’t want to teach others to rebel against God, or to avoid things they want to do, that may not be sin.

 

[NickF]

The most applicable verse is about not lusting after a woman.

If you assume lusting after a woman is sin, your interpretation will be a little off. Lust is not always bad. It’s simply a deep desire. Jesus said “adultery”. It’s impossible to commit adultery with an unmarried woman.

So lusting after an unmarried woman is not committing adultery in your heart.

I think much of what you’re getting pushback on would be resolved if you modified your initial stance and interpretation of that verse to align with the scriptural definition of adultery.

 

[Joshua]

If you assume lusting after a woman is sin, your interpretation will be a little off. Lust is not always bad. It’s simply a deep desire. Jesus said “adultery”. It’s impossible to commit adultery with an unmarried woman.

So lusting after an unmarried woman is not committing adultery in your heart.

I think much of what you’re getting pushback on would be resolved if you modified your initial stance and interpretation of that verse to align with the scriptural definition of adultery.

Is lust not a callback to coveting? Not just desire itself, this is a reference to not coveting your neighbors wife as in wanting to take her from him unlawfully or use her while she’s married to another man. Read the BLB thayers lexicon for epithymeo in Greek.

 

[NickF]

coveting your neighbors wife as in wanting to take her from him unlawfully or use her while she’s married to another man.

My point exactly. Not just simply looking at a woman with lust.


Adultery of the heart must violate the laws against adultery but in your heart.
Can you commit adultery with "any woman"? No, she must be married.
Therefore it's incorrect to build your assumptions upon the faulty presumption that looking lustfully at a woman is adultery of the heart. I looked at my wife with deep desire before we married. I wanted to do things with her that I'm not permitted to do with another married woman. But she was free for marriage, so my deep desire was not adultery of the heart because she was not married.

I'm merely pointing out there might be a faulty presumption in your wall of logic that is causing some men here to disagree with you when you all share a remarkably similar viewpoint.

 

[Joshua]

My point exactly. Not just simply looking at a woman with lust.


Adultery of the heart must violate the laws against adultery but in your heart.
Can you commit adultery with "any woman"? No, she must be married.
Therefore it's incorrect to build your assumptions upon the faulty presumption that looking lustfully at a woman is adultery of the heart. I looked at my wife with deep desire before we married. I wanted to do things with her that I'm not permitted to do with another married woman. But she was free for marriage, so my deep desire was not adultery of the heart because she was not married.

I'm merely pointing out there might be a faulty presumption in your wall of logic that is causing some men here to disagree with you when you all share a remarkably similar viewpoint.

I never said that it’s adultery in the heart to desire any woman, rather if the woman is married, then it’s shaky ground because you have to make sure the thoughts coming into your mind don’t include using this woman sexually (in real life) while she’s still married to said man. I think either you misinterpreted what I said, or I didn’t explain it well? I agree with you, but you could also look at a virgin girl with lust (desire to use unlawfully), as in desire to rape her, or seduce and then abandon her. I hope this helped

 

[Earth_is-]

Is lust not a callback to coveting? Not just desire itself, this is a reference to not coveting your neighbors wife as in wanting to take her from him unlawfully or use her while she’s married to another man. Read the BLB thayers lexicon for epithymeo in Greek.

Proverbs 5:18-19 NLT
Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.

Lust - alone - is not exactly sin. It is how it is used. That would be like saying drinking alcohol is sin. If lust is used as motivation to work hard, and finding a good wife - having children together - then lust was fruitful and good.

If it’s used to covet something belonging to your neighbor - you’re in sin.

If it’s used for forbidden sexual practices - like incest or homosexuality - you’re in sin.

So lust can lead you to taking care of women and children through marriage - but it can also be used for wickedness. Being attractive to women is not sin. Desiring a neighbor’s wife is sin. Just like YAHUAH told King David - if you wanted more wives I would had given them to you; but why take another man’s wife? (Paraphrasing the scripture there).

 

[Joshua]

Proverbs 5:18-19 NLT
Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.

Lust - alone - is not exactly sin. It is how it is used. That would be like saying drinking alcohol is sin. If lust is used as motivation to work hard, and finding a good wife - having children together - then lust was fruitful and good.

If it’s used to covet something belonging to your neighbor - you’re in sin.

If it’s used for forbidden sexual practices - like incest or homosexuality - you’re in sin.

So lust can lead you to taking care of women and children through marriage - but it can also be used for wickedness. Being attractive to women is not sin. Desiring a neighbor’s wife is sin. Just like YAHUAH told King David - if you wanted more wives I would had given them to you; but why take another man’s wife? (Paraphrasing the scripture there).

Desiring to have the neighbors wife is inherently bad? What if you desire to marry her if one day her husband dies or she is divorced? What if you just think she’s beautiful? Or think it would be nice to be with her if she wasn’t married? How is that coveting?

 

[Earth_is-]

Desiring to have the neighbors wife is inherently bad? What if you desire to marry her if one day her husband dies or she is divorced? What if you just think she’s beautiful? Or think it would be nice to be with her if she wasn’t married? How is that coveting?

You’re in “DANGEROUS” territory. Yes - desiring to have your neighbor’s wife is sin. It is what the 10th commandment says - do not covet (desire) anything belonging to your neighbor. It starts in the heart, and thought proceeds action. Like Yahushua said - if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out.

It’s okay to acknowledge your neighbor has a beautiful wife. Or a nice home. And praise YAH for blessing him. But why go any further? There’s plenty, plenty, plenty of women out there. Why put thoughts on a wife that already has her own husband? This is un-fruitful, and destructive.

The problem isn’t the lack of women out there. The problem is there’s not many men out there. That’s where parable of the talents should come in, and of course, this means polygyny.

 

[Joshua]

You’re in “DANGEROUS” territory. Yes - desiring to have your neighbor’s wife is sin. It is what the 10th commandment says - do not covet (desire) anything belonging to your neighbor. It starts in the heart, and thought proceeds action. Like Yahushua said - if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out.

It’s okay to acknowledge your neighbor has a beautiful wife. Or a nice home. And praise YAH for blessing him. But why go any further? There’s plenty, plenty, plenty of women out there. Why put thoughts on a wife that already has her own husband? This is un-fruitful, and destructive.

The problem isn’t the lack of women out there. The problem is there’s not many men out there. That’s where parable of the talents should come in, and of course, this means polygyny.

You are the one who is in dangerous territory, you know covet means to desire to use or take unlawfully (use a Hebrew dictionary), and in your view you could never buy a neighbors car or house because you desired it in the process before owning it!

 

[Earth_is-]

You are the one who is in dangerous territory, you know covet means to desire to use or take unlawfully (use a Hebrew dictionary), and in your view you could never buy a neighbors car or house because you desired it in the process before owning it!

The Master said - “If you lust for another man’s wife - you’ve already committed adultery in your heart.”

So why would a man entertain such ideas about another man’s wife? It’s foolish. Why dance around the fire? It can lead to destruction, which can affect your entire household. There’s plenty of women out there that don’t have husbands, so spend time and energy on women that “don’t have a covering;” versus women that already have a covering. That’s a major reason for biblical polygyny - providing for women that don’t have a covering. If it’s done right and has YAH’s blessing - she will be a blessing to your household; and your household will be a blessing to her.

 

[Joshua]

The Master said - “If you lust for another man’s wife - you’ve already committed adultery in your heart.”

So why would a man entertain such ideas about another man’s wife? It’s foolish. Why dance around the fire? It can lead to destruction, which can affect your entire household. There’s plenty of women out there that don’t have husbands, so spend time and energy on women that “don’t have a covering;” versus women that already have a covering. That’s a major reason for biblical polygyny - providing for women that don’t have a covering. If it’s done right and has YAH’s blessing - she will be a blessing to your household; and your household will be a blessing to her.

I agree practically, I’m just making an argument in theory. Definitely focus on your family and available women, not dreams of a taken one one day being available. Dwelling on her could make it tempting to seduce her in real life, which is adultery.

 

[steve]

Just differentiate between temptation and dwelling on desires.
Some people feel condemned for thoughts that they are tempted with. These are from the enemy and need to simply be dismissed.

 

[frederick]

K.I.S.S. If she is free and it's appropriate for you to want her, seek to gain her. If she's not free, stay away! Eezy peezy.

K.I.S.S. If you want to watch porn, get your wife/wives and/or husband to do some HOT selfie stuff and share it with you. It makes for one heck of a surprise when it's totally unexpected! Also eezy peezy.

Okay, next topic.

 

[The Revolting Man]

I am confused how you could read through this entire thread and come to this conclusion. I would like to hear your scriptural and logical arguments to compare this to what Joseph ran from (physical) please. Also, which sin is it directly associated with? Is a man who watches a virgin then obligated to marry her according to exodus 22:6? And is the man who watches a married woman coveting her even if he has no intention to take her from her husband or use her physically? I do not hold a position of supporting pornography, Neither am I attempting to single you out; I just personally feel unsatisfied with how this thread fleshed out, through 15 pages. And feel just as confused as before I read it, on what positions there are against porn and what scripture is used, and how this affects practicality and real life, along with differences in men and women watching and what line defines sin. Similarly, I would like to hear anyone’s views on when physical interactions become sin, showing? (And what parts) touching (and what parts) actually p in v ? Etc, if you have more threads for me to read please link them. I don’t want to have no answer to these things for myself and others in my life.

You are asking all the right questions!

 

[The Revolting Man]

Can I add to this? What constitutes as porn? What's the scriptural definition?

Another great question! This is the correct starting point.

 

[The Revolting Man]

A proper understanding of this topic is essential for any Bible believer who wants to be in this world and not of this world. No one gets it right. The pietist approach has clearly failed. The libertine approach is obviously destructive. We have to get God’s take on this if men are going to start experiencing victory and I am completely convinced that God wants us to be victorious.

 

[Shadowjak's Dancer]

You are the one who is in dangerous territory, you know covet means to desire to use or take unlawfully (use a Hebrew dictionary), and in your view you could never buy a neighbors car or house because you desired it in the process before owning it!

Incorrect definition of "covet". When Moses picks elders from the camp: men of truth, such as fear God and hate covetousness, yes. That word has to do with a desire to take unjustly. However, the word for "covet" in the ten commandments is a different word altogether. One could almost say it means to find delightful, or to be a source of delight. The implication of wanting or planning to take unjustly isn't inherent in the Hebrew word.

One should delight in what God gives to them, or in what is free for the taking and not let something or someone that is taken to be a source of desire, even if there is no intent to take unjustly.

 

[Shadowjak's Dancer]

You are the one who is in dangerous territory, you know covet means to desire to use or take unlawfully (use a Hebrew dictionary), and in your view you could never buy a neighbors car or house because you desired it in the process before owning it!

Also, let's be honest, a neighbors house or car being up for sale is not the same thing as a wife. If it is, other things have gone wildly wrong.

 

[Joshua]

K.I.S.S. If she is free and it's appropriate for you to want her, seek to gain her. If she's not free, stay away! Eezy peezy.

K.I.S.S. If you want to watch porn, get your wife/wives and/or husband to do some HOT selfie stuff and share it with you. It makes for one heck of a surprise when it's totally unexpected! Also eezy peezy.

Okay, next topic.

Okay what about all the single men? Or men with one wife who don’t seem to be satisfied while they search for more, or their wife would cause strife in the house if they got more?